Socket wrench



Jan. 1s, 19.27.

w. c. sTowE g-r AL socKET wRENcx /1 William. E. 512|:

F'arma M.

Patented `lan. 18, 192,7.

UNITED STATES 1,615,201 PATENT orties.

WILLIAM C. STOWE AND FANNIE M. ISAACS, OF REDDNCir, CALIFORNA.

SOCKET XVRENCI'I.

Application filed February 14. 1924. Serial No. 692,798.

This invention relates to socket wrenches and it is the principal objectof the invention to provide wrenches which are particularly well adaptedfor use in the removal of spark plugs from internal combustion engines,the wrenches being so constructed that they may be fitted over sparkplugs and engage wrench heads thereon without contacting with any of theporcelain or other frangible parts which are easily broken; and, toprovide adjustable socket wrenches which are simple and cheap tomanufacture, easy to assemble, and easily and quickly operated.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following detaileddescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forminga part of this specification, and in which drawing,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the improved socketwrench, showing a fragment of an auxiliary wrench which may be employedto adjust or fit the socket wrench to the wrench head of a spark plug orsimilar object;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the socket wrench, showing an auxiliarywrench which may be employed to operate the socket wrench, after it hasbeen adjusted or fitted to an object.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter Aindicates the main body portion of4 a wrench including a tubular sleeveB, a cap C, and a head or block D; E a socket member; and F, means foradjusting the socket member E longitudinally within the sleeve B.

Referring now to the tubular sleeve B, the same preferably is open atboth ends in order that access may be readily obtained to the interiorthereof, and has the one end interiorly screw threaded as at and theopposite end eXteriorly screw threaded as at 11. If desired` the head 12of the sleeve B may be circular in formation, and the exterior walls 13so formed as to render the sleeve B polygonal in cross section in orderto provide a good gripping surface. The interior wall 14 preferably iscircular in formation in order that the parts within may be easilyreciprocated without a binding action.

Acap C provided with internal screwthreads 16 in the one end thereof maybe screwed on to the external screw threaded end 11 of the sleeve B andsuitably locked thereon by means of a set-screw 17. This cap C has itsone end portion provided with internal fiat cam fac-es 18 in outwardlycon verging relation so as to provide a polygonal shaped recess. Thesefaces 18 combined with a portion of the socket member E, which willlater be described, provide means for preventing rotation of the socketmember E within the sleeve B.

The head or block D may be provid-ed at the one end with external screwthreads 20 for securing the same to the internal screw threads 10provided in one end of sleeve B, and may be securely locked in place bymeans of a set-screw 21. T his head D preferably projects beyond oneendof the sleeve B as at 22, said projecting portion preferably beingpolygonal in cross section so as to provide a wrench head lover whichthe socket of an ordinary wrench may be fitted so that the main bodyportion A may be operated after the socket member E, which willsubsequently be described, has been ad justed to an object. This head Dis also provided with a central bore 23.

Referring now to the socket member E which is adapted to be positionedwithin the sleeve B, the same preferably comprises a head around the topof which may be formed an outwardly extending annular flange 26 which isadapted to engage the inner wall 14k of the sleeve B and hold the headin spaced relation thereto so as to obviate the liability of a bindingaction when the socket member lil is reciprocated within the sleeve B. Acentral screwthreaded bore 27 is provided in the head 25 of the socketmember E. Extending from the head 25 are a plurality of spaced springjaws 28, said jaws preferably being relatively long and normallyparallel, the outer ends 29 forming a polygonal shaped portion, theouter fiat faces 30 of which are adapted to engage the flat faces 18 ofthel cap It can readily be seen that by such a construction the socketmember E will be effectively prevented from rotary movement within thesleeve B when the socket member E is reeiprocated within the sleeve Bfor the purpose of contracting or expanding l) and is provided on itsinner end with a screw-threaded stem 3a which is adapted to engage thescrew threaded bore 27 in the head ot the socket member E in order thatmovement may be imparted to the socket member E longitudinally of thesleeve B tor the purpose of contracting or expanding the spring jaws 28.A shoulder may be termed on the shank 33 which is adapted to lieadjacent the. bott-om surface of the head D, the shoulder 35 being oflarger diameter than the bore 23 in the head D to prevent its removaltherethrough. The outer end of the operating shank 33 may be providedwith a squared end portion 36 which projects beyond the head D and isadapted to receive a nut 37 having an opening therein corresponding tothe squared end portion 36. The extreme outer end 38 of the operatingshank 33 may be provided with screw threads, and upon which a nut 39 isadapted to be threaded in order that the nut 37 may be securely lockedto the squared end portion 36 ot' the operating shank 33. By so formingthe outer end ot' the operating shank 33 and by securing the nuts 37 and39 thereto, a means has been provided tor rotatably securing theoperating shank 33 to the hea-d D, and, by titting the socket of anauxiliary wrench 40 to the nut 3T, as is clearly shown in Figure l ofthe drawing, rotary movement may be imparted to the operating shank 33,which, due to the screw threaded stem 34 be litted in the screw threadedbore 27 provided in the head 25 oli the socket member E, for adjustingthe socket member E within the sleeve B and cause the spring jaws 28 tobe contracted or expanded.

ln operation, when it is desired to lit an object such as the wrenchhead of a spark plug in the socket opening 3l of the socket member E,the operating shank 33 is rotated through the medium of a suitableauxiliary wrench 40 so that the socket member E will be drawn up intothe sleeve B in order that the spring jaws 28 may open to their fullestextent. The desired object is then fitted within the socket opening 3land the operating shank 33 rotated in the opposite direction which willcontract the spring jaws 23 and irmly grasp the object. An auxiliarywrench al may be tit-ted to the head l) ot the main body portion A, andby rotating the main body portion A in the desired direction, the objectgrasped by the spring jaws 23 may be removed or replaced as the case maybe.

From the 'foregoing description it an readily be seen that socket wrenchhas been provided which is extremely simple in construct-ien, consistingot a relatively 'few parts which may be quickly assembled ordisassembled, and may be placed upon the market at a relatively lowcost.

Changes in details may be made to the torni of invention herein shownand dcscribed, without departing troni the spirit ot' the invention orscope ot the claim.

`We claim:

A wrench comprising a tubular sleeve circular in cross-sectionthroughout the greater portion of its length and having its lower endportion tapered and polygonal in crosssection to provide flatjaw-engaging faces, a head removably secured in the upper portion ofsaid sleeve and having an axially disposed passage circular incross-sectitm, said head extending above the sleeve and ravingwrench-engaging side faces, a shalt journaled in the passage of saidhead and having a collar engaging the inner end tace ot said head, theinner end portion ot said shaft being reduced and threaded and the upperportion extending above the head and polygonal in cross-section andhaving a reduced and threaded upper end, a wrenchreceiving nut upon thepolygonal portion of said shaft and a. securing nut upon the threadedupper end portion engaging the wrenchengaging nut, and a grippingelement slidable longitudinally in said sleeve and having a blockscrewed upon the threaded lower end portion ot said sha'li` and providedwith an annular flange engag ing the walls ot' the sleeve, and resilientarms extending downwardly l'rom said block and terminating in jawsangular in crosssection and having downwardly converging outer facesengaging the jaw-engaging faces of said sleeve and adapted to havemovement radially ot the sleeve when said shalt is rotated and thegripping element moved longitudinally in the sleeve.

WILLIAM C. STOVE. Mns. FANNIE M. ISAACS.

